Perhaps you’re wondering how man was able to make the airplane fly. If you think about it hundreds of centuries ago, perhaps mankind wouldn’t even think about it as a possibility. People perhaps dreamed of flying but the main question is how? Thanks to the many scientists, engineers, and inventors, the airplane was created. And now let’s see how they made the airplane work.

Let’s all give credit to the Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur who made the first ever successful flight in the history of mankind. It was in 1903 or December that the two brothers have made it to history. They are self trained engineers who were serious about discovering how to create an airplane. They first started out with perfecting a kite. They have studied how it flew over the sky. After that, they went ahead and started creating gliders. In fact, it took them three gliders in three years to perfect the principle behind it. Then the first engine-powered airplane was next. Now let’s discuss the great principles behind what could be one of the greatest inventions of mankind.

The first important principle behind airplanes is the wings. To understand the principle behind I’d like you to raise your arms in front of you with your palms pointing sideways. Now move your arms back and front and feel the air flow. Now try it again but this time point your palms toward the ground. Do you feel the difference? If you noticed, it was harder when the palms were pointing sideways. That is the reason why the wings of the airplane are horizontal and not vertical. Thus, position and shape is crucial in making an airplane work. Now that’s not all there is to it. If you notice the wings of an airplane, the top of the wing has a longer distance from end to end as compared to the bottom of the wing. The top has a longer distance because they make the top of the wing curved. So maybe you are wondering why the top has to have a curved shaped? See, when you flapped your arms, you felt the air flow not only above your arms but also at the bottom.

The same goes with airplanes. There is air flowing on top of the wings and below the wings. Now above the wings, the air has more space to travel, so it can flow smoothly. However, the air below the wings are more pressurized because there is shorter distance to travel. Now what happens is this. The air has nowhere to go but down towards the ground which in turn is what pushes or lifts the airplane up. See what difference a shape or length does? Thus, the wings play a major role in making airplanes work. However, that’s not the only principle behind it. Just search the internet and you’ll learn more about it!